Bee-hive



(No Model.)

U. BAIRD.

BBE HIVE.

No. 424,844. Patented Apr. 1, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

URIES BAIRD, OF ELLSVORTH, OIIIO.

BEE-HIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,844, dated April 1, 1890.

Application iled July 24, 1889. Serial No. 318573. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, URIES BAIRD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ellsworth, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bee-Hives; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in bee-hives, the object being to keep the bees dry and warm in winter by packing around the brood-chamber some absorbent non-conducting material-such as chaff-which will absorb the moisture deposited by the bees and will prevent the escape of the heat they give out; and it consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accom panyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a central vertical section of a hive embodying` the invention, which section passes through the doorway of the hive. Fig. 2 represents a similar section thereof at right angles to that shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the hive unpacked and with the upper or honey chamber removed. Fig. 4 is a side view of the division-board Z of the honey-chamber.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring tothe drawings by letter, A designates the outer frame or casing of the hive, rectangular and nearly square in form and supported at the desired height by suitable legs secured to its corners. Each side of said casing is composed of a proper number of horizontal boards or strips a, placed one above the other, with their ends secured to the upward extensions of the adjoining legs and with their lower edges a beveled downward and outward, for a reason hereinafter explained. The bottom B of the casing is composed of similar boards or strips b, which are similarly beveled at one or both edges, as at b. The top C of the casing is provided with a large opening c, surrounded by an upward-standing iiange c, upon ,which iits the depending flange of the cap-cover c2. The opening in the top C may be tted with any desired style of top; but the one described is the one preferred. Extending across the floor of the casing from side to side on its inner surface are the two similar boards D, which have their edges upright and stand at equal distances, respectively, from the front and rear wall of the casing.

E is the brood-chamber, rectangular in shape and standing upon the boards l). The said chamber extends nearly from front to rear within the casing, and is connected to the front and rear walls by the short strips e, the inner edges for which are secured to the upper edges of its ends.

c is the bee-entrance, inclining downward from the brood-chamber to the front wall of the casing in the usual manner, and e2 is the alighting-strip below the outer end of the bee-entrance for the bees to rest upon when about to enter or leave the hive.

The brood-chamber makes two equal-sized side spaces or chambers F within the easing, near the ends of which, below said chamber, are the boards D. There are also spaces below the brood-chamber between said boards, and to the upper part of the walls of the brood-chamber are secured the strips e, which serve to hold the same in place.

G G are boards which cover in the spaces F, and are provided at suitable points with the openings g, affording access to the bees into said spaces or chambers from above. The ends of these boards G rest upon supportingstrips g', secured to the front and rear walls of the casing and extending from the side walls thereof to the brood-box near the top of the latter.

Il is the rectangular honey-chamber, resting upon the brood-chamber and having the usual inner rabbets 7i at the upper edges of its ends ,to receive and support the proj eetions t' of the comb-frames I, which are of ordinary construction and may be of any desired number.

I is a hanging division-board, having proj ections t' at its upper edge similar to those of the frames, which board is of the same depth as the honey-chamber. The said board can be moved closer up to the frames when the swarm is weak and there are but few frames and prevent the heat given out by the bees from being extended over a larger space than desirable.

J is a cloth that can be extended between the open meeting ends of the brood-chamber and honey-chamber, cutting off commnnication between them.

K is a cushion made of closed bags of some suitable cloth and a stuffing of chaff, which is an absorbent and non-conducting substance.

The brood-chamber maybe either iXed or removable. To pack the casing the cover and board G are removed and chaff is packed in the chambers or spaces around the broodchamber. The cushion K is then placed above the honey-chambert In putting the frame or casing` of the hive together the beveled edges a of the boards should be slightly separated from each other, so as to forni escape-spaces for the moisture in the hive.

The cha aids in retaining the heat given out by the bees and absorbs the moisture deposited by them and gives it to the Walls and bottom of the casing, upon Which it is condensed and conducted ont of the casing` by the beveled edges of the Walls and floor thereof, issuing between the boards that form the Walls and Hoor and dropping thence to the ground.

The packing, obviously, may be performed Without removing the brood-chamber and after the swarm has occupied the hive and the latter is on its summer; sta'nd. The hive has been found very useful in practice, and the simplicity of its construction is apparent.

Having described my invention, l claim- The combination ot' the casing having the beveled side and bottom boards a and I),

lslightly separated from each other for the es' my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of Witnesses.

URIES BAIRD. NVitnesses:

BENJ. McGoWEN, J. A lvIANci-insrnn, HUGH A. lNIANoHEs'rER. 

